


Proof that Tony Stark Has a Heart

by spideybidey, starkytones



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, I didn't wanna be happy a ny way, I fucking love them okay, I'm trying my damn best, Iron Dad, Iron Man - Freeform, Irondad, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker - Freeform, Spider-Man - Freeform, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark is a soft boi, screw you Endgame, spiderson, tony stark - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 02:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18682462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideybidey/pseuds/spideybidey, https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkytones/pseuds/starkytones
Summary: Tony Stark has a heart, and his name is Peter Parker.





	Proof that Tony Stark Has a Heart

Tony Stark had a heart. 

Sometimes he wished he didn't. On nights like this, when the rain beat down on the large expanse of glass from his penthouse overlooking the city. His breath came out as a small gust of fog with every long exhale. Trembling fingers twitched in need of a glass of scotch. Something to take the edge off of this sleepless night. But he had none. Months had gone by since he'd given up drinking, and not a single bottle could be found in his home. 

It didn't feel like home. Sometimes, sure. Of course he  _called_ it home, and it wasn't like it wasn't his home. It was. But it didn't feel that way. Nothing about it felt particularly homely. There were bits and bobs lying around that brought a bit of warmth to his heart; photo frames hanging off of the walls containing images of him and Pepper, of Peter, of the "team". His chest twinged at the thought of that. Of his team. "Family". They weren't a family, not anymore. Tony would always love them, would always miss them, but things were broken now. Beyond repair. He could only look back and wish for those simpler times. Before he'd failed. Before he ruined everything.

Of course, he hadn't ruined everything. A small part of him knew that. There was always that part of his mind that kept on running, though. The part of him that reminded him of what he truly was. Of the harm he'd caused. No amount of heroic acts could repair the selfishness of his youthful profiteering, or undo the tainted reputation he'd formed for himself in his quest to be like his father. No. That was who he was, and who he always would be. No matter his efforts. It occurred to him, as he took a shaky breath in and tugged the thin blanket further over his knees, that not everyone saw him that way. Certainly not Pepper, who saw him for what he tried his best to be. Not Peter, who admired him for those moments of heroism. Not Rhodey, who had been his friend through everything, who knew the side of Tony that he reluctantly showed others. The side of him that he was letting out tonight, in the early hours, curled up on the couch with a steaming mug of tea due to yet another night of restlessness and nightmares. 

A crack of thunder booming through the air brought him back, tore him away from his thoughts, and it was in that moment that he glanced up and saw the small frame of a familiar teen wandering through the hallway. He was staying at the penthouse for a couple of nights, allegedly so that they could work on some projects together, but Tony knew better than that. There was no need to state the obvious to the kid, though. Raising an eyebrow, he watched as Peter emerged in the doorway, clearly shivering as his t-shirt - which he soon noticed was actually his  _own_ t-shirt that the kid must've stolen from him, a thought that made his chest tighten just so - and shorts doing nothing to shield him from the harsh cold. 

"Mr. Stark...?" 

"Hey, kid." Tony cleared his throat, shifting a little where he sat, only now becoming aware of the loss of feeling in his leg. "You alright?" 

Evidently not. Peter shifted between his feet, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt before glancing back up again, biting his lip. "Can't sleep... What are you doing?" It wasn't a sincere question. Of course Tony knew that. That was an 'is what you're doing important'. He knew the kid by now. 

"Nothing much. I can't sleep either." Came his response, lifting the blanket from himself and patting the empty space beside him. He didn't need to ask twice. Peter was over there like a shot, and within seconds he had the kid cuddled up to him, his movements sleepy. Despite his shivering, he was warm to touch. Tony didn't even have time to place the blanket back over them, or invite the kid in closer. Peter was already doing that himself, clambering into his arms and making himself comfortable. He couldn't help himself.   
Tony draped the blanket over the pair of them, one arm lazily rising to wrap around the kid's back, pulling him in just a tad closer to his chest where his arc reactor hummed away in the quiet of the night. 

"Pete?" A whisper fell on deaf ears. Peter was already drifting off, an illegible murmur his only response, and for the first time that night, Tony smiled. His life didn't have to be so bad. Really, it wasn't. He had a wife, he had a kid that wasn't even his own, but may as well be - and he had this. " _I love you._ " He whispered, lips pressing to Peter's hairline, his own eyes finally fluttering closed.

 


End file.
